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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22773844">The Darkness and an Ancient</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fmfan1980/pseuds/Fmfan1980'>Fmfan1980</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Stargate - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:14:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22773844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fmfan1980/pseuds/Fmfan1980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ancient known as Athena is relaxing on board the Destiny when it comes upon a galaxy it refuses to enter. She sees a strange energy signature that has covered the entire galaxy before she leaves to investigate. What is it? Why is it only present in this particular galaxy?And why does she see darkness spreading like a cancer?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Stargate SG-1.</p><p>A/N: The Athena character in this story is the same as the one in my An Extraordinary Journey story (background on her would be spread on chapters 104 to 110). This story was just a thought I had one day while watching old episodes of SG-1 followed by a Star Wars marathon on TV. Cheers.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <strong>The Starship Destiny.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>The Alterran starship, Destiny, was silent as it sped through a modified hyperspace tunnel. At least the interiors were silent which was not at all surprising since the ship was unmanned. The Alterra who were supposed to board the ship never did, especially since they started to focus their research on another new area of interest, Ascension, soon after its launch. The silence around her was just what Athena desired as she walked through the dark hallways of this ancient vessel built by her ancestors millions of years ago. The ship's internal sensors didn't register her presence, and she wanted it that way since any attempt by the ship to initiate life support systems would take away power from the hyperdrive engines which were pushing the ship through a modified hyperspace tunnel towards another galaxy. And as it was, the Destiny was nearly through the galactic void and into the next galaxy - one which was billions upon billions of light years away from where the ship was first launched; the planet her people once called Terra in the galaxy of Avalon.</p>
      <p>Now known as Earth, the people were back to a primitive state when compared to the Alterran civilization. Yet, it was a world where Athena created a simple life for herself after her people left Atlantis following their defeat in the war against the Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy. It would be years later, after what she would consider to be one of her great mistakes, through a journey of redemption and forgiveness, she achieved ascension into another plane of existence.</p>
      <p>As she walked through the hallways of the Destiny, she gave off a faint glow to light her way. The Destiny AI was running the ship, and it was charged with following the Seed Ships responsible for constructing and depositing Stargates into the worlds of different galaxies, and then signalling those locations back to the Destiny for cataloging. Then there was the other reason for the construction of the Destiny. Athena could recall her history lessons on Atlantis so long ago; that it was not long after the creation of the Stargates that the ancient Alterra discovered a pattern in the Cosmic microwave background radiation. The Alterra of that time realized this pattern could not have been natural in origin, and so they hypothesized its very presence suggested an order to the universe never thought possible. 'I was taught the early Alterra believed it was a message of some kind,' Athena thought to herself. However, the message was fragmented and could not be recovered fully. To that end, they devoted the efforts of an entire generation to the construction of Destiny with one of its purposes being finding and reassembling these fragments, and thus completing the message. Athena was truely awed at the knowledge the ship must have collected over the tens of millions of years after it was launched, 'will you ever be done?'</p>
      <p>As she continued her walk through the silent hallways, Athena heard a 'screech' before there was a flash of white and blue light all around her.</p>
      <p>'The hyperdrive stopped,' Athena thought to herself before she took a step forward. As she did so, she simply thought about the Destiny's viewing gallery and that is where she found herself with her arms folded, one over the another, on her chest. With many unused chairs and tables all around her, Athena walked towards the railing at the end of the large room. She looked out at the disc-shaped galaxy stretched out in front of her and frowned.</p>
      <p>'There is something odd,' Athena thought to herself as the ship started to bank to the port side and away from the galaxy, 'did no seed ships travel to that galaxy? Are there no Stargates anywhere on any world?' The Seed Ships, launched a century before Destiny, were supposed to construct and deposit Stargates to every world, even those that did not support life. So, to have a whole galaxy that was completely avoided by the Seed Ships was very unusual. 'The Destiny is following the path taken by those Seed Ships. So, a Seed Ship must have stopped here, just outside the galaxy, and then made its way to another galaxy?' Athena pressed her lips together to a thin line before she teleported herself out into space with the large ship behind her.</p>
      <p>Athena looked back over her shoulder as the Destiny finished moving away while the rear engines glowed a bright blue. It wasn't long before that there was a blue and white hued cloud forming several meters in front of the ship caused by a rip in space; the rear engines then flashed a bright blue before the ship shot into that rip. Once the rip in space closed, Athena gave a small smile at the thought that Destiny was continuing her journey. Turning back towards the galaxy in front of her, Athena tilted her head upon noticing something unusual. She could see was what appeared to be a blue hued energy field that covered the entire galaxy.</p>
      <p>At the same time, as she wondered about this energy field and why it was that this was the first galaxy she had seen with this phenomenon, she could sense the eyes of the Others staring at her. She suspected they were watching to see what her next move would be. Their rule was non-interference in the lower planes of existence. And Athena was very well aware of the dangers in interfering with the natural evolution of mortals and supposed immortals in the lower planes of existence. However, despite the great non-interference rule of the Others, Athena was curious by nature. Her figure glowed a bright white while being formed into a shapeless form that shot towards the galaxy laid out in front of her.</p>
      <p>Even though she was formless, Athena imagined her lips pressed together as she took in the surroundings after piercing through the blue energy field. Although no one, not even any cosmic force, should be able to discover her presence; Athena could feel everything that was happening around the galaxy. Ordinarily she would be at one with any galaxy she traveled to, but this was different. She felt as if there was a heightened perception of what was happening all around her. And she never felt anything this heightened ever during her travels. She could sense hatred, rage, grief, greed, evil, and even more negative emotions in what could only be described as an invisible miasma of an all-encompassing darkness that was currently leeching out into the galaxy from a central point. She could already sense a very distant part of the galaxy already shrouded in darkness… the blue hue in that location was so dark that it could be very well a blackness where no light could escape. Her heightened awareness told her that the darkness in that area of the galaxy was small relative to the rest of the galaxy. But this other darkening of the blue field surrounding the galaxy seemed to be emanating outwards from a central planet; this darkness was nearly just as raw and turbulent as the other dark area of the galaxy.</p>
      <p>Athena was also aware of the wars taking place all over the galaxy; it reminded her of another galaxy several million light years away. That particular galaxy was at war as well; and it had gotten so violent that by the end… out of a population of trillions, only a handful survived. Athena could recall walking on the blood-soaked streets of the capital planet as ships flew overhead firing spheres of plasma at the buildings which housed the leadership of the very people who started the war of genocide. Every planet was the same in that galaxy… fields and fields of bodies whose blood stained the ground they lay upon.</p>
      <p>She continued towards the world where this darkness was emanating from. Even after seeing the wonders of so many galaxies before this one, Athena could still be surprised as she approached the planet where the darkness was emanating from; and she was awestruck. From above, the planet was like a shining jewel in space. However, the closer she got to the plant, the more she could see the debris of ships and bodies that were orbiting the planet.</p>
      <p>'There must have been a great battle in orbit of this planet,' Athena thought as she entered the atmosphere. The light blue energy field of the galaxy was already a darker shade upon appearing in what she assumed was the locus of this darkness. She found herself staring at the back of an old man with combed grey hair staring out the window at the numerous flying vehicles zooming past. She could see waves of darkness around the man spreading out into the open space around him. The energy then went outside his office and seemed to darken the blue field of energy that covered this planet. The very same energy field that filled this particular galaxy.</p>
      <p>"Senator," he spoke in a calm voice that belied the anger Athena sensed from him. Athena could see that he was speaking into an earpiece , "I can assure you I have no intention of holding onto the powers granted by the Senate longer than I have to. Once General Grievous has been found, I will implore the Senate to begin an immediate reversal of the emergency powers granted to me."</p>
      <p>Athena turned away from the man who continued speaking into his earpiece. Her eyes glanced at the paintings on the wall, as well as the numerous sculptures before settling on a statue of red and blue armour to her left. All the while, she could feel the dark energy in the large room trying to 'stick' onto her like mud. However, it was unable to even pierce the shield around her body that prevented anyone from sensing her presence. Sighing, Athena sensed everything around her was contaminated with this darkness… from the carpet covering the floor, to the walls, to the table and the papers on the desk, the desk itself, and the tablets on the desk, to the ornaments on the walls, to the paintings, the sculptures, and even the armour she was staring at. She could sense the whole planet was already contaminated with this darkness emanating from the old man.</p>
      <p>She was feeling sickened from just staring at the darkness in the energy field all around her. Athena took in a deep breath while changing her perception of the world around her. Now she was seeing everything as a normal human; she could not see the swirling dark blue energy field around her. However, she could still feel its presence, and it was very strong.</p>
      <p>Athena was about to turn around when she felt a surge of anger. And just as she felt that surge, she heard a 'bzzzzz' before there was a glowing red blade of light that pierced through her chest. It was then she heard a voice full of malice and hate whisper just behind her.</p>
      <p>"Who are you?"</p>
      <p>Athena was surprised. No one should be able to sense her, especially not any human.</p>
      <p>'But this one did,' Athena thought as she looked down her chest at the red glowing blade which continued to buzz violently, 'interesting, very interesting.'</p>
      <p>TBC.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <strong>Palpatine.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>It was on a conference call with the group of senators calling themselves the Loyalist Committee that had Sheev Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, doing everything in his power not to strangle them through the dark side of the Force. All they were concerned with was the current situation regarding General Grievous and when the Supreme Chancellor would be giving up his powers. They were also pestering him on the timing of new elections for a new Supreme Chancellor. Oh, how he wanted to execute Order Sixty-Six then and there so that, once the Jedi were out of the way, he could take control of the entire Galaxy and then do away with these very Senators who were annoying him. He would see the Jedi fall… he would see the Republic fall; it was the final endgame of a grand plan from the time of Darth Bane, a plan that would see fruition under Palpatine's rule of the Republic. He would see it all to be replaced by a Galactic Empire with Anakin Skywalker by his side.</p>
      <p>Palpatine pressed his lips together as he stared out the curved transparasteel wall of his office and watched as the numerous speeders passed by while he spoke with Mon Mothma. His voice was reasonable and calm while at the same time he revelled in the thought of her face turning blue as she was slowly strangled to death. Ah, how he looked forward to that day, especially if she and her fellow senators did not accept his rule. Honestly, he would be surprised if they did… especially after all the democracy speak which they spewed. He could only make out the other Senatorial voices in the background of the call that were screeching at him while he used the Force to locate them.</p>
      <p>A few moments later, he found the location of the Loyalist Committee. '500 Republica,' the old man thought to himself as a wicked smile formed on his face while he spoke now to the Senator from Alderaan, Bail Organa. Just as Mothma's voice came back on his earpiece a few minutes later, Palpatine narrowed his eyes at the sight of 500 Republica in the distance before looking up to the sky with a confused look on his face. He furrowed his eyebrows at the ripples he could sense through the Force as something shot through the atmosphere and towards the surface of Coruscant. It was as if a stone was dropped into a body of water… the stone causing ripples as it fell towards the bottom while water curved and twisted around it and left a trail behind. He could not see the disturbance, but he felt it as it turned… all the while causing ripples to move outwards as this mysterious phenomenon fell towards the planet.</p>
      <p>"Chancellor?" Mothma's voice rang in his ear just as he felt the disturbance come to a sudden stop behind him. And just as a stone stopping at the bottom of the body of water, there was a slight surge in the Force. He continued speaking as the Force rippled – only this time it was very slightly as if the object or a strange being behind him – was slowly moving towards the statues that adorned the walls at the rear of the office to his right.</p>
      <p>"Senator," he said as he flexed the fingers on his right hand which focusing his eyes on his reflection hoping to get a glimpse of the intruder. But there was no reflection of whoever it was that entered his office. He pulled his lightsaber to him from the compartment under his desk and gripped it tight. How dare someone or something try and sneak up on him… he was the Dark Lord of the Sith; he was going to be the most powerful of them all and the one to completely annihilate the Jedi. So how dare something try and surprise him. He hid his growing anger… it was something he was very good at after all… as he spoke to Mothma, "I can assure you I have no intention of holding onto the emergency powers granted by the Senate longer than I have to."</p>
      <p>There was silence on the other line for a few seconds before Mon Mothma's voice came through, "very well, Chancellor. We will still have to be briefed on the continued search for General Grievous."</p>
      <p>"Of course," Palpatine responded with a feeling of rage permeating his body while thinking, 'how dare she try to command me.' He continued by saying, "until then, Senator. Have a good day."</p>
      <p>Palpatine touched the earpiece and disconnected the call while he stood staring at the flying speeders in the distance. His eyes focused on his reflection and then onto the reflection of his office space. There was no one there, but he could sense someone moving. He could tell this person was not attuned to the Force – this fact made it even more useful to capture and study this possible assassin.</p>
      <p>He knew that the Force permeated every living thing, so having sensed someone moving through the Force like a stone in water was unusual. True, there were beings that could hide themselves in the Force – Palpatine considered himself to be one of those very powerful beings. But what he was sensing now was unusual. Palpatine turned around and eyed a hidden compartment on the left side of his desk. His called on the Force, using it to open the compartment and then pull the hidden lightsaber to his awaiting hand.</p>
      <p>His eyes were focused on the empty space several feet in front of him, he could feel the ripples caused by the unknown entity moving away from him. 'It does not see me, nor does it sense me?' Palpatine thought as he slowly walked towards the source of the ripples in the Force. 'What assassin would not take their chance now?' Palpatine mentally chuckled knowing that an invisible assassin would not even have a chance to try killing him unless he allowed it.</p>
      <p>'Out of the many questions, I would like to know who would order this assassination,' Palpatine thought to himself as he neared the source of the disruption in the Force. Whatever caused the ripples in the Force, it was no longer moving. Palpatine resolved to question this invisible being under the harshest of conditions before stopping inches away from the source. He was staring at a statue against the wall in the direction of the source before he swiftly ignited his lightsaber and then stabbed what he believed was the back of whoever was in the room with him.</p>
      <p>However, much to his surprise, there was no screaming just as there would be when any other living thing was cut by the superheated blade of a lightsaber. There was silence in his office as he stared at the open space in front of him; the lightsaber in his hand pointed outwards away from him with the blood red blade stabbed into empty air.</p>
      <p>It wasn't possible. He swept the blade through the air to his right and didn't even feel the weight of the handle get fractionally heavy – a usual occurrence due to the resistance when the plasma blade cut through a body or an object. Suddenly he felt the ripples in the Force once again from the same point in front of him.</p>
      <p>There was something there, Palpatine was absolutely sure of it. He stabbed the open air in front of him and then, to get a better sense of what he was facing, channelled the dark side of the Force through the handle and then the blade of the lightsaber.</p>
      <p>And a few seconds later there was a bloodcurdling scream. There was nothing in front of him, yet there was a scream... a howl of pain... from the lips of what sounded like a woman reverberating throughout the entire room. And then Palpatine felt a sudden surge from the air all around him. It wasn't through the force though. Palpatine prepared himself for anything but he couldn't stop the violent push against his body which rammed him back against the far wall while, at the same time, the deactivated lightsaber was ripped out of his hand and then flung towards the window to his left. The device was flung with enough force to crack the glass before the weapon dropped down to the carpeted floor from the impact.</p>
      <p>Palpatine felt pain rip through his body after being slammed against the wall by the unknown force before he grunted after landing unceremoniously onto his side on the carpet. He slowly got up, his eyes following bellows of pain towards the direction of his desk. The Force rippled around in his office as he slowly stood up with a maniacal grin forming on his face as the outline of a figure started to form out of thin air. The outline of the figure was leaning against his desk. He could see the outlines of shoulders, arms and hands that were resting on the top of the glass table top before there was another scream of pain.</p>
      <p>Palpatine gathered the dark side of the Force before he raised both arms in front of him and fired streams of blue lightning towards the outline of the figure. He chuckled at the new howls of pain and watched in rapt attention while the grin on his face widened as the lighting crackled around the figure. And then, suddenly, Palpatine felt a connection through the dark side energy he poured into the being in front of him. He could feel the Force... the entirety of the Force through this being.</p>
      <p>And it wasn't just the Force, he could feel such power from the mystery figure that he trembled in anticipation. He could feel his way through the dark side and out into the wider Force since it was suddenly now flowing through the figure who was screaming out in pain.</p>
      <p>Laughing maniacally, Palpatine increased the flow of dark side lightning from the tips of his fingers and towards the figure. The screams increased in volume and terror while his eyes widened as a woman in a white dress and red hair came into view staring at him with eyes full of pain.</p>
      <p>"Who are you!?" he yelled out before he increased the strength of the electrical streams as the woman closed her eyes and screamed out before vanishing out of his sight. The streams of electricity now impacted the glass window and shattered it. Palpatine stopped the electricity and lowered his arms while staring at the area where the woman was standing. With a growl, he stalked off towards the still intact section of the window. He stared into the distance at the towers of the Jedi Temple and ground his teeth in anger. Whoever the woman was, she was powerful... he could not only feel her immense power, he could also feel the entire Force through her. He was even able to catch glimpses of events that were happening on other worlds in the galaxy and even events from what he believed were the past; he even managed to get a glimpse of Darth Bane as he stood over his apprentice.</p>
      <p>Palpatine could sense the dark-side of the Force within her; as if the dark side of the Force had begun to infect her. And the 'infection' was getting stronger. With a smile, Palpatine turned around and rushed out of his office with a calm visage on his face. He needed to get into his secret meditation room full of dark side artifacts. He was going to control the darkness within the woman. He was going to control her by any means necessary and have her power for himself; with her power at his fingertips and Anakin Skywalker by his side, Palpatine would be all powerful.</p>
      <p>
        <strong>Athena</strong>
      </p>
      <p>Almost immediately after she was stabbed by the blade of red light, Athena was surprised. After all, the human behind her managed to somehow pierce her incorporeal form and only just avoiding her heart and lungs. An impossible task since she was not visible to the old man. In a word, she was impressed.</p>
      <p>Athena turned around as Palpatine swung the lightsaber to the side and stared at the old man. She could sense so many negative emotions coming off him; and yet there was something else she could feel just under the surface.</p>
      <p>'Evil... I feel evil from this man,' Athena thought to herself as she watched him stab her once again with the blade. She could just sense evil, but she also knew there was nothing he could do to harm her. But if she was still using her eyes to see the dark energy that was permeating the room... the very same energy coming off the man in front of her... Athena would have seen the same dark energy flowing through the handle of the blade and up the red hued magnetic sheath holding all that superheated plasma. The dark energy flowed through the blade and past the shields Athena instinctively erected around herself to keep the unique energy flowing within everything in this galaxy from permeating her energy form.</p>
      <p>It was a second later that Athena felt a sudden cold from within her. She looked down at the blade as it was pulled back by the old man and then looked back up at the snarl on his face. And then there was a blinding pain – something that was not possible in her energy form – rippling through her body. She stumbled away from the old man while screaming in pain as what felt like spikes were being slowly and painfully drilled throughout her form. She couldn't concentrate as pain overtook everything... the shield protecting her from the energy around then fell and Athena felt the darkness in the office flowing through her.</p>
      <p>And she screamed louder in pain. If felt as if the dark energy was forcing itself into her and the pain caused by the intrusion was making it difficult for her to focus on anything but the intense pain. The darkness invading her body felt like an infection.</p>
      <p>And then came the streams of lightning from the old man. The darkness within the lightning hastened the infection threatening to take her over. Athena could feel the man's evil through the energy now and she could also feel herself connecting to the unique energy flowing throughout the galaxy. She was able to see wars on planets between machines and humans, she saw other humanoid beings on the other side of the galaxy seemingly preparing for war, and then she saw the past of this galaxy... she saw the future as well while forcing herself at least block the old man from peering through her mind and into this vast wellspring of energy. As she leaned on the table while being struck with more powerful streams of energy, Athena continued to scream at the torturous pain while using her remaining strength to find a way out of this predicament.</p>
      <p>Simply put, she needed to heal. The darkness given off by the old man and the environment around her had already infected her, and she needed a way to strip it away before taking physical form so that she could go into a deep meditative state. It was something she needed to do since this evil that was spreading through her entire form was poison. And if this old man could peer through her mind, then there was every possibility that he could control her in a weakened state through the dark energy forcefully being rammed into her. And that was something that must never happen.</p>
      <p>'He could have access to my Ascended powers,' Athena struggled to think what such evil could do with such immense powers, 'no! no!'</p>
      <p>Concentrating, Athena used the unique energy flowing through her as a guide and found an area of the planet where there was a sufficient mass of energy that was uncorrupted. It was small, but it did exist. However, under that mass of relatively uncorrupted energy she could sense great darkness too, and under that thick layer of darkness there was another fading layer of uncorrupted energy. She could sense the throbbing of that fading uncorrupted energy; it was as if it was calling out to her. Athena could feel her body phasing into the physical world, 'No... no...' she thought before taking one burst of concentration to teleport herself.</p>
      <p>Where once she was in a room full of cold and evil, Athena continued to scream in pain as she found herself falling onto the floor of a room where it was bright, warm and her surroundings not as corrupted. As she fell towards the floor, her body shifting in-between her energy form and her physical form as the dark poison spread throughout, Athena heard voices calling out. Almost immediately upon landing on all fours with her hands pressing against the floor, she felt a mental push into her mind.</p>
      <p>"<em>Get here, how did you?" </em>the mental voice sounded surprised while other voices around her yelled out loud.</p>
      <p>"My word!"</p>
      <p>There were several voices yelling out, "By the Force!"</p>
      <p>"Anakin! Get away!"</p>
      <p>"Get a medical droid!"</p>
      <p>Athena heard multiple sounds similar to the weapon that stabbed into her incorporeal form back in the office of that accursed old man. She was on all fours panting as she tried to hold back her screams of pain... the pain was a dull thud now since she was away from the darkness in the previous room. But she could still feel the darkness that was injected into her spreading through her energy based body. She opened her eyes and switched her vision towards seeing the light blue energy field all around her which had wide swathes of grey floating about in the room. She believed that it was the abundance of the blue energy field which had dulled her pain – but it was a simple guess. At the same time, Athena could now sense a stronger call for help from the deepest recesses below her.</p>
      <p>And then she gritted her teeth and screamed when it felt as if a hot spike – followed by several more white hot spikes – were stabbed into her mind.</p>
      <p>And then she heard a voice that gave her chills, "<em>Hello, my dear, where do you think you are going? Do you think hiding in the temple would protect you from me?" </em>Athena immediately used as much mental strength as possible to erect barriers around the memories of her time as an Ascended being. Barriers which were almost immediately attacked with rage, "<em>you cannot hide your thoughts for too long, child!"</em></p>
      <p>She knew if the darkness infecting her took over, then this galaxy was doomed. Athena couldn't feel the eyes of the Others on her, which would make the monster desiring her powers remake the galaxy in whichever way he chose without any consequences.</p>
      <p>Gasping in pain, Athena slowly got her hands off the floor and straightened her body while remaining on her knees. Athena glanced at the people – humans and aliens – wielding blades of energy of many colours before her eyes rested on a dark blonde haired young man with darkness and light emanating off him in equal measure. Then she turned her head towards a green creature who was the only one in the room not to wield the strange weapons. It was the same one who had sent the mental message asking to know how she arrived in this particular room.</p>
      <p>"I feel the presence of the dark side," a dark skinned bald man next to the short green creature said with disgust as he stared at her. Athena's eyes went back to the green creature and then to the floor as the call for help from deep within the structure burst through the layer of darkness surrounding it once again.</p>
      <p>Athena knew she was nearly in her physical form with all of her powers and knowledge intact... powers and knowledge the Old Man could control. If she didn't get rid of this darkness that infected her energy form, she could be corrupted even as a physical being. And without the Others to take her powers away, she would be the most powerful person in this galaxy under the control of something utterly evil.</p>
      <p>"Light..." Athena whispered as she glanced at the green creature before looking away and screaming as she held the right side of her head, "... can... can... expel... expel the darkness." She felt as if she was about to lose control of her body as her head involuntarily turned towards the green creature. She felt a very powerful malevolent force... that of the old man... reach into her mind and body before a deep hoarse voice spoke through her lips, "Master Yoda." Athena felt as if she was in a storm... already weakened severely, she was just holding on to her very being as the voice spoke through her while her body was standing up.</p>
      <p>Her eyes stared at each of the people in the room... people who were already tense and preparing to strike down at her. "Master Windu, Master Kenobi..." it was then she realized there were holographic projections of people who were staring in shock before her eyes rested on the dark blonde young man, "Knight Skywalker!"</p>
      <p>"Who are you?!" the one called Skywalker demanded, "how did you get into this room? Are you the Dark Lord of the Sith?"</p>
      <p>'Dark Lord? Sith?' Athena thought while she was being pushed further and further into her mind as maniacal laughter rang out. The laughter wasn't coming from the room around her... it was coming from within her mind.</p>
      <p>"The Dark Lord, you are, yes?," Athena heard the voice of the green creature as she tried to quieten the Old Man's laughter, "a fight remains with this shell, however."</p>
      <p>"This being is weak before the Dark Lord of the Sith!" Athena's lips moved... the evil speaking through her, "I have its powers... I can feel the Force... all of the Force and..."</p>
      <p>Athena forced her mind through the darkness in anger. No, no one was going to take control of her. She felt a feeling of relief, if only for a moment, as the voice and the laughter quietened. At the same time, the distant call for help coming from deep beneath this structure was becoming urgent.</p>
      <p>"NO!" This time it was Athena's voice that carried through her lips as she forced the darkness back... but only slightly. The infection had almost run its course through her body as she watched a dark cloaked figure take form in her mind. She stared at the hooded face... yellow eyes of pure evil and the grin full of blackened teeth and greying lips... staring back at her.</p>
      <p>She stood up straight and focused her powers as she raised her arms in front of her. Her palms were facing each other as the voice of the green creature broke through the laughter of the dark cloaked figure reaching out for her in her mind. The dark figure cackled before saying she was weakening and that he would be taking control.</p>
      <p>The green creature mentally asked, "<em>what intend to do, do you</em>?"</p>
      <p>"<em>I am light</em>," Athena mentally responded with the dark menacing cloaked figure inches away, the cold clammy hands almost reaching her face, "<em>this dark lord called you Master Yoda, yes?"</em></p>
      <p>"<em>Yes."</em></p>
      <p>"<em>A warm light covered in darkness has been calling me from below," </em>Athena responded as time slowed down in her mind<em>, "I am creating self-perpetuating energy to rekindle that light and rip away the darkness. The light will wash away this darkness's infection and then I will take physical form until I heal."</em></p>
      <p>"<em>Light underneath?"</em></p>
      <p>Everyone in the room saw a ball of bright white light form between the palms of Athena's hands before it fell down through the floor. That act weakened her even more. And just before the hands of the cloaked figure grabbed her head, Athena performed one last act through this energy field that was now flowing through her... an act which she hoped would help protect her. And then, with that last act... a bit of her own uncorrupted energy acting as a cry for help broadcasted through the Force... Athena found herself covered on darkness and unable to move or feel. She was trapped in her own mind and body.</p>
      <p>Unknown to Athena, her energy based body was now tense and still as her eyes were glaring at the people standing around her with their lightsabers drawn. "Filthy Jedi!" the low snarling voice escaping her lips cried out, "I have found my apprentice, and now I have my newest weapon!" Before the gathered Jedi who were physically in the room could do anything, they were all thrust against the glass and then dragged high above the floor. At the same time, the Jedi using the holographic transmitters were knocked away from their communications pedestals from whatever planets they were stationed.</p>
      <p>All the lightsabers deactivated and clattered to the floor as the possessed Athena growled. Her arms raised toward the immobilized Jedi, the Dark Lord of the Sith growled through her lips, "this is the end... the end of the Jedi, and the return of the Sith!"</p>
      <p>TBC</p>
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